SAULT STE. MARIE, MI - U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers continue to focus their efforts on Whitefish Bay.
U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Mackinaw home ported in Cheboygan, MI, Biscayne Bay (St. Ignace, MI), Katmai Bay (Sault, MI), and Neah Bay (Cleveland, OH) are hoping to take advantage of long awaited southerly winds, rain, and warmer temperatures in order to flush the last of the region's ice out into Lake Superior. All the while, the ice breakers have kept the almost constant flow of commercial vessel traffic, moving through the area without delay. To date, 91 commercial vessels have transited the St. Mary's River, since the Soo Locks reopened on March 25th.
While most of the Great Lakes escaped the icy grip of "Old Man Winter", U.S. Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie has been dealing with ice in its waterways since mid December. Although the ice never reached its historical thickness, the Straits of Mackinac, St Mary's River, and the western Lake Superior ports of Duluth and Superior had enough ice (average 10-12 inches in most areas 18 to 24 inches in some) to keep icebreaking resources steadily working throughout the winter.
The "Old Mackinaw" was locked though on March 13th in preparation for spring opening of the Soo Locks. Mackinaw found the ice from the locks up to the entrance of the St Mary's River (near Point Iroquois) very manageable. However, they found a completely different story when they entered Whitefish Bay. Inside the shipping lanes, Mackinaw found ice varying in thickness from 36-48 inches. Outside the shipping lanes ice plates formed ridges up to eight feet thick. These conditions required the unique capabilities of Mackinaw given her size and power. The crew worked diligently for seven days as the Mackinaw carved a track through the stubborn ice fields of Whitefish Bay. In the meantime, outside assistance was called in. By Sunday March 20th, the Mackinaw was joined by the 140 foot ice breakers, Biscayne Bay and Neah Bay, with the Bristol Bay (Detroit, MI) joining the fleet later in the week. With the Katmai Bay handling the lower river, the Mackinaw and the three smaller ice breakers put the finishing touches on the track lines. At midnight on the 25th of March, the commercial lakers met no resistance as they made their way through Whitefish Bay. The mariners thanked the Mackinaw and the other cutters for the "highway" they had prepared. The "highway," as they put it, enabled the vessel traffic to pass clear of the locks and the St Mary's River system without delay.
With the southerly winds, rain, and warmer temperatures entering the region this week, the ice has begun to disintegrate, and Mackinaw's "highway" has collapsed - signifying the final stages of the ice season. Each year, the final days of ice breaking are often the most hectic. With no discernable track, the breakers are relegated to escorting vessels one by one through the rotting (still burdensome) ice. After which, the ice breakers must race back and forth to smash up the larger plates of ice. This allows the ice to move into Lake Superior and melt without posing a threat to the passing ships. This weekend, we've reached that phase of the ice season, as the Mackinaw puts the finishing touches on its final ice breaking season.
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